Meet Chick B: Hatched in 2018

Owl chick is learning to fly and has left the nest

Chick B, born in April 2018 and featured on our webcam, has left the nest. The egg was laid March 11 and, after being incubated, hatched on April 15. As of May 25 the chick, known as Chick B, left the nest and is learning to fly at the breeding centre. The chick will not return to the nest so we are turning off the webcam for 2018.

Meet Chick D: Hatched in 2017

One of two eggs laid by Shania in March 2017, hatched on April 19th at approximately 10:45 p.m after several weeks in an incubator. Hatching took 84 hours. The chick – known as Chick D – spent its first 15 days in intensive care. It was returned to the nest on May 5 at 10:25 a.m. The young endangered owl has had a vet check and we can confirm – it’s a boy! (Credit: Northern Spotted Owl Breeding Program)

Chick D at five months.

Chick D and Shania, the first captive-born Northern Spotted Owl in Canada.

The owl chick was returned to its nest on May 5th.

Scud brings a meal for his owl chick and its mother Shania.

This chick was one of two eggs but was the only fertile egg.

Fragile chick was in intensive care at breeding centre for 15 days.

Owl chick hatching took 84 hours.

Meet the breeding pair of endangered owls

Shania (the larger owl on left) and Scud are a breeding pair of endangered Northern Spotted Owls. They were broadcast via our owl webcam in spring 2017 from the Northern Spotted Owl Breeding Program in British Columbia’s lower mainland. We’re a proud supporter of this breeding program and efforts to recover Canada’s most endangered owl. Subscribe to our e-letter WildBytes and we’ll keep you posted on the chicks, the projects we fund, and when to apply for an FWCP grant.

Meet Elliott: Hatched in 2016

Meet Elliott, Shania’s first chick born in 2016, proving that a captive-born Spotted Owl is capable of successfully reproducing. He was named after the Elliott State Forest in Oregon.

Northern Spotted Owl Facts

The Northern Spotted Owl is the rarest owl in Canada.

The entire wild population in Canada is about 20 and they are all in B.C.

It’s one of three sub-species of Spotted Owl.

They prefer old-growth forests habitats.

It’s among the largest owls in North America (40 – 48 cms long)

Typically lays two to three eggs per clutch.

Gets its name from the distinct spots on its head and back.

the typical call is a four-note “who hoo hoo whoo.”

Strix occidentalis caurina is the scientific name for this species.

This captive breeding program is a critical part of the recovery effort of this owl in Canada.

FWCP and the Northern Spotted Owl Captive Breeding Program

One of the reasons the Northern Spotted Owl is at risk in Canada is due to habitat loss due to a variety of human activities such as timber harvesting and human settlement, including the creation of reservoirs. That’s why FWCP is involved: our mission is to conserve and enhance fish and wildlife impacted by BC Hydro dams. In addition to funding the breeding program, the FWCP has also funded research and monitoring on Northern Spotted Owls. Subscribe and stay informed about FWCP grants, and the projects we fund, including this one. If you have questions about the FWCP, please ask us: fwcp@bchydro.com

The Northern Spotted Owl Captive Breeding Program’s objective is to raise and release captive-raised owls into protected habitats, with the goal of establishing a viable self-sustaining population of Spotted Owls within the Lillooet area. If you have questions about the owls, the work of the Northern Spotted Owl Breeding Program or how you can arrange a summer 2018 guided tour of breeding program, please ask: nsobreedingprogram@gmail.com. Follow the Northern Spotted Owl Breeding Program on Facebook and please share. Read the breeding program newsletter and find out more about the many partners supporting these recovery efforts.

The Northern Spotted Owl Captive Breeding Program is funded by BC Hydro, the British Columbia Conservation Foundation, the Fish & Wildlife Compensation Program, INNERGEX, TD Friends of the Environment Foundation, and the Province of B.C.